Appendix

Fig Butter

Jams can be sticky situations. Butters – they’re just smooth. In the realm of fruit spreads, they are also known for bigger, bolder, more concentrated fruit flavor. In fact, according to federal regulation, fruit butter must contain at least five parts fruit to two parts sweetener. That’s a lot of fruit.

Fig fanatics, we wanted to put our best fruit forward when we decided to showcase them in a spread. So we butterized them (not a technical term). Working with Maine-based culinary craftsmen, focused on old-fashioned, farmstand goodness and flavor, we created Trader Joe’s Fig Butter. It starts with a medley of fresh, ripe figs: Mission figs for their extreme sweetness, Calimyrna figs for their distinctive nutty flavor and Conadria figs for their nutty-sweet balance. The whole figs are dried, ground and then crushed before being slow-cooked, in small batches, with sugar, lemon and pectin. It’s a simple recipe using only the finest, freshest ingredients, and no preservatives or artificial colors. The result is full fig flavor concentrated in a smooth, spreadable butter. It’s delicious on toast or waffles, pairs gracefully with cheeses and mixes flavorfully into yogurt or oatmeal. At $2.29 for an 11 ounce jar, even the price of our Fig Butter is smooth.